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Friday, September 07, 2012

WWYD? A summer do-over

What Would You Do? is a semi-regular feature in which a question will
be posed based on a character or story line in a book I've recently
read. I'd love if you would take part and share in comments just what
YOU would do in a similar situation!

I hope that I've made it pretty clear so far, that I absolutely adored The Twice-Lived Summer of Bluebell Jones by Susie Day already! (See my review here and Susie Day's guest post about writing the book twice) I really do adore it. It's quite the slim book, but it really pulled on my heartstrings as I was reading it.

But what's more, I keep thinking of this book and its characters when I'm in situations where I'd normally feel a little anxious. I've never had an amazing bunch of confidence but I've always wanted to.

The story of The Twice-Lived Summer of Bluebell Jones is about a girl who makes a wish on her birthday for a little help. Blue really wants someone to help her though this summer she's facing and when she blows out the candles of her birthday cake a future version of herself appears who calls herself 'Red.'

Isn't that a wonderful premise for a story? I've thought about it a few times lately before I go out or if I'm wondering if I could pull off a certain look or whatever - what would my super-confident future self advise me? I love that. I love that I have that idea present in my head.

But that isn't what this post is about. I was thinking that since the schools have started up again and the end of summer is looming over us, what sort of advice would you give to your past self? If you could do your summer over again to make it perfect and just right, what would you have changed?

It's a tough one for me, because I had an amazing summer. We went on the Harry Potter studio tour, a weekend away to the Isle of Wight. We went to the Olympics and the Paralympics, we went on a family holiday to Denmark. Time between all of that was spent playing board games and laughing with my two crazy and hilarious boys. So there's isn't a lot that I would change for the things we've done... but there's always things I'd like to change about how I feel.

That said, I did come up with a list, and here it is:

-Don't let myself take my iPhone onto that scary ride at Tivoli Gardens - that feeling of dread as it flew out of my pocket and crashed onto pavement nearby does not need to be relived
-Remind myself to bring more than 3 books on a week long holiday - I have no idea what past-version-of-myself was thinking

-Convince myself to start the 30 Day Shred earlier so I could feel amazing sooner rather than later
-Maybe with some extra confidence I may have PUT ON my bathing suit at least once this summer instead of feeling too self-conscious about it

-Don't be so bloody shy about arranging to meet up with friends

-Same goes for meeting authors at the UKYA meet-up, I'm sure those authors you were too shy to introduce yourself to would have loved chatting

Enough about me, what would you do? If you had the change to relive this past summer, what would you change?

Great post, Clover! I'm awful at a lot of those blogger/author events, so not being so shy is something I would love to change. ;) And ha! 3 books for a week long holiday? Next time, take a different one for each day. :D